Zelensky appeals to intl federations over IOC's intention to allow Russian athletes to compete

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed a letter to leading international sports federations in order to prevent the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions.

"Today, I continued our marathon of integrity, which should return international sports structures to true Olympic integrity. Addressed with a letter to the presidents of the leading international sports federations. The call is simple and fair: to be determined by the decision of the International Olympic Committee, which, unfortunately, wants to open the sport to the propaganda influence of a terrorist state," he said in a video statement on Saturday.

According to him, "if Russian athletes appear at international competitions, then it is only a matter of time before they begin to justify Russia's aggression and use the symbols of terror. And it is also only a matter of time before the Kremlin starts using the IOC's unprincipled 'flexibility' to say that the world is willing to make concessions to the aggressor."

"It cannot be ignored that every day Russia continues its terror," he said.